Air-conditioning appliance



J1me 9- F. A. WHITELEY AIR-CONDITIONING APPL'IANCE Filed Jan. 21 e Sheets-Sheet 1 2 w Y f a WH E l W4 m m 0 K wu MM W June 13, 1939. F. A. WHITELEY 2,162,394

AIR-CONDITIONING APPLIANCE Filed Jan. 21, 1957 e Sheets-Sheet 2 I45 1a 34 37 I q Fm 3 INVENTOR 8'7 FRANK AWRT EY A'r YS June 13, 1939. F. A. WHITELEY 2,162,394

AER-CONDITIONING APPLIANCE Filed Jan. 21, 1937 6 Sheets-Sheet I5 INVENTOR FRANK AWm-rELEY A ORNEYS June 13, 1 939. w n- L Y 2,162,394

I uR-counmxoume APPLIANCE I Filed Jan. 21, 1937 e Sheets-Sheet 4 HEAT ELCHANGER wA-rR countess: coouua TANK 3 I3 FIG; 6 n

HUHIDIFIER use INVENTOR FRANK A.WH\TELEY ATTORNEYS Patented June. 13, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE Frank A. Whiteley, Covington, I

Application January-21, 1937, Serial N0. 121,518

16 Claims.

My invention relates to-air-conditioning appliances, and has for its object to provide a compact and simple mechanism occupying substantially the space usually occupied by the ordinary 5 hot air furnace which will induce and control currents of air drawn through returns from .a room or rooms or enclosure or enclosures in which the air is to be conditioned and cause it to move through and be subject to instrumentalities which during that movement will heat the air, impart moisture to it and take from the air the dust and dirt which it carries.

It is a further object of my invention tov provide foruse in either heating or cooling the air a heat exchanger comprising a hollow air-leg or air-carrying member having cast metal walls, said member being divided into a multiplicity of air passageways by thin plates integrally cast.

at their sides in the cast metal walls.

It is a further object of my invention to provide for heating or cooling the air a plurality of said air legs or air-carrying members each divided into a multiplicity of air passageways by thin plates integrally cast at their sides in the cast 0 metal walls, said members being secured together so as to provide between pairs of said members extensive passageways of small depth for conveying the medium (either heat as flame and gas,

or cold as cold water) along, said cast metal walls to effect heat exchange to the air going through said air legs, and providing means for securing said air leg members together.

It is a further object of my invention to pro- I vide an air-inlet chamber having therein a secondary heat exchanger through which the smoke or gases of combustion when the appliance is used for heating go from said enclosure or enclosures to and through the appliance and to form this heat exchanger of the same elements as are provided for the primary heat exchanger directly associated with the combustion chamber as above recited.

It is a further object f my invention to provide means in the main c sing of the appliance for causing the gases of combustion when the appliance is vused for heating to be positively moved through the primary and secondary heat exchanger and to arid through the stack.

V This application is a continuation in part of my application heretofore filed Serial Number 513,513 for hot-air heating, moistening and cleaning means.- It embodies, however, specific means for constructing the several air-legs making up the heat exchangers so that they may readily be united together in any desired numher and detailed improvements in the heat exchanger arrangement in the air-inlet chamber and in the means for controlling the air going to and coming from the enclosure or enclosures to be air-conditioned and in the type of air-moistening and cleaning devices.

The full objects and advantages of my invention will appear in connection with the detailed description thereof, and its novel-features are particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, illustrating an application of my invention in one form,

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional elevation view through the main air-conditioning appliance. Fig. 2 is a part sectional plan view taken on line 22 of Fig. I. Fig. 3 is a part sectional plan view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional elevation View taken on line 4--l of Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional elevation view taken on line 55 of Fig. 20 1 and Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the course of travel of the water when ttheappliance is used for cooling. Fig. 7 is a schematic dia-- gram indicating the flow of water through pipes immersed in a bath cooled by a compressor operative in connection with the cooling features of the appliance. Fig. 8 is an enlarged view in section of the heat exchanger units showing their formation and manner of uniting to form comieteheat exchangers, either primary or secondary. Fig. 9 is a fragmentary sectional view of the top of one of said. heat exchanger units. .Fig; 10 is a plan view with the top casing removed showing a valve mechanism for controlling movement of air to and from selected groups of rooms. Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken on line I III of Fig. 10. Fig. 12 illustrates the manner of connecting a hot water tank in the water line which furnishes warmed spraying water for humidifying the air during winter airconditioning. Fig. 13 is a fragmentary part sectional detail taken on line Iii-43 of Fig. 1 and on an enlarged scale. Fig. 14 is a longitudinal part sectional side elevation view showing the application of my'invention to what is known 4 as a unit heater. Fig. 15 is a sectional view taken on line I5I5 of Fig. 14.

The heating appliance proper comprises a. main casing having end walls I0 and II, side walls I2 and I3, a bottom wall I4 and a top wall 0 I5, all as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5. Inner casing side walls Iliand II, inner end wall l8 and inner bottom wall l9 may be provided suitably spaced from side walls I2, I3, end wall ILand bottom wall I4, and this space either 55 may be filled with insulating material such as mineral wool, or it may be open to circulation therethrough of return air in a well-known way. -Within the main casing, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, is positioned a primary heat exchanger combustion go from vertical passageways 2| into,

a chamber formed by a preferably cast casing 26 provided with a clean-out door 2' and se-- cured in gas-tight relation to the primary heat exchanger 20 by flange and bolt connections indicated at 21, in Fig. 1. The gases of combustion reverberate within the casing 26 and go through substantially horizontal passageways 28 in a secondary ,heat exchanger 29, and from these passages 28 go into a chamber 30 within a smoke hood 3|. From the chamber 38 the gases of combustion are constrained. to move to its bottom by means of a bale 32. They pass through opening 33 under bame 32 and go through a vertical pipe 34. From pipe 34 they go into smoke pipe 35 which leadsthe gases of combustion to the stack. The smoke pipe 35 is carried by means of afunnel-shaped'expander 36 into a pipe 31 which surrounds and is spaced from pipe 34 so as to leave an annular passageway 38, Figs, 1 and 2, about pipe 34. This annular passageway discharges at 39 about the end of pipe 34 and immediately below the funnel 36, which forms a restriction above said annular opening 39 thereto. The pipe 31 has its bottom closed by a wall 43 into which discharges a conduit 4| connected with a small blower 42 which may operate from the shaft of the main blower g and to and out of the stack.

The primary heat exchanger 20 and the sec-- tion through the primary heat exchanger pas-,

sages 2|, the reverberating chamber in 26, the secondary heat exchanger passages 28 and the chamber 36 and pipe 34 to and through pipe 35 ondary heat exchanger 29 are each formed of identical air-legs 41 shown in detail in Figs. 2, 8

.and 9 and side plates 48 shown in Fig. 2. Each of these air legs or air-carrying memberscomprises a hollow body open at both ends with relatively large extent in two dimensions and small extent in the third dimension, formed of cast metal sidewalls 49- and 50, and cast end walls 5| and 52, Figs. 2 and 4, the end walls 5| preferably being V-shaped to form flaring openings to the combustion gas passageways 2| as shown in Fig. 4. Walls 49 and 58 are *formed on their outside with cast ribs 249 and tau, which, as shown in Figs. 42 and 4, are positioned relatively across the walls 49 and 50 so as to make the passageways 2| and 28 somewhat zigzagged in cross-section for causing turbulence and a wiping action on the walls of the flames andgases going through said passageways. Walls 49 and 58 are also formed at their edges with oflset portions or lips 53, as well shown in Fig. 8. And from these lips extend flanges 54 parallel with the walls 49 and 50. By means of bolts 55 extending through the flanges 54 groups of air-legs 41 may be united together, furnace cement being applied to the adjusting i'aces whereby the combustion gas passage 2| (or 28) are formed along pairs of walls 49 and 50, as clearly shown in Fig. 8. Any number of air-legs 41 may be thus secured together to form heat exchangers of any desired width..

The heat exchanger is flnished at the sides by means of side plates 48 which are formed with offset portions 53 and flanges 54 in exactly the same manner as the side walls of the air-legs. The plates 43 are also provided with flanges 56 extending outwardly, see Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, which are adapted to form unions with corresponding flanges 58 on hood casting 26 and with flanges 59 on smoke hood 3|. The air-legs are also proided with end flange members 6| and 62 coresponding in all particulars with the flange members54 for similarly forming unions with the casting26 and the smoke hood 3!], as shown in Figs. 8 and 13.

Within the chamber formed by the side walls 49 and 53 of the air-leg members 41 and integrally cast therewith along their sides are a multiplicity of thin plates 63, which may be formed 6r fabricated in any desired manner, and which are united with the side walls 49 and 50 at the time that the air-legs in their entirety are cast. These plates 63 will preferably be of the same or similar metal as the main walls 49, 50, 5|, 52

of the air-dogs. When used for heat exchange in heating, a desirable metal for the air-legs is iron, since cast iron exposed to the hot gases of combustion from burning fuel gases or other fuel is resistant to corrosive effects 01' such gases. When, however, the air-leg is employed for heat exchange in cold air-conditioning, where the walls in practice will usually be exposed to moving water, brass or copper is a desirable metal, since water does not seriously corrode this metal and it has characteristics of rapid heat transfer. In practice the plates employed may be sheet metal such as sheet iron or sheet copper, and will be held in position in molds so when the hot metal for the wall and ends of the air-leg is poured it will envelop the edges of the plates 63 and said edges will be fused into the body of hot metal which will ultimately form the walls of the airlegs. I have found it advantageous to cast ribs of metal 64 along the edges of the plates, as shown in Fig. 9, whereby a little larger body of molten metal surrounds said edges and the fusing of the edges is made more efiective and complete.

The arrangement here shown wherein the smoke or gases of combustion pass through the several channels 2| into the reverberating chamber formed by casting 26 through the secondary heat exchanger passages 28 into the smoke heat chamber 38 and thence through pipes 34 and 35 to the stack is such that, until the gases of combustion leavepipe 34 they will contact nothing but cast metal walls such as cast iron, thus insuring a long life. In going through these passages the heat of the combustion gases will be largely absorbed from the heat exchangers by the air being passed through the appliance, so

that the moisture carried by the combustion gases willlargely lie-precipitated in secondary heat exchanger 29 and hood chamber-39. For this reason the heat exchanger 29 is positioned at a slight angle, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, being secured along its bottom edge adjacent the primary heat exchanger 29 by. means of bolts 85 going through angularly-disposed flange 89 on: secondary heat exchanger 29 and angularly disposedflange 61 on heat exchanger 29. Because of this dipping downward of secondary heat exchanger 29 the water precipitated as above noted willgravitate into hood chamber 39 and to outlet to the sewer.

played.

aperture 68, fromwhich it goes through pipe 69 In order to insure the travel of combustion gases through the above-noted passageways, and to the stack, at their -reduced temperatures, as above pointed out the forced -draft mechanism heretofore described is em- Referrlng now to the air travel from the room or rooms, orenclosure or enclosures, to be airconditioned, a blower 19 of standard construction is positioned within chamber heretofore described, said blower being mounted upon standards 1| and drlven by motor 43 through belt 12. The blower 19 has connection by means of a union.13 and funnel member", Fig. 1, with air passages 15 vformed in the air-legs between plates 63 and portions of walls 49, 59. The air is drawn through passages 15 in thesecondary heat exchanger 29 from the air intake chamber 16 and goes through passages 15 in the primary heat exchanger 29 to a passage or chamber 11 adjacent end casing walls II, I8. From there it passes under and around the heat chamber formed by combustion chamber 24, the primary heat exchanger 29 and the top casting chamber 26 to the air-delivery chamber 18 and thence to the hot air-delivery duct 19, see Figs. 1 and 19, from which the hot air is distributed to the different rooms or enclosures to be airconditioned in a well-known way. The air-delivery chamber 18 is formed by end walls II, I8 and by preferably insulated partition 89, 8I forming a chamber 82 which discharges through a large opening 83 into the top of an intake chamber 84, as clearly shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5, from which the air passes first through one or the other of the sprays hereinafter to be described and thence through the secondary heatexchanger back to the blower. i

The return air duct for conveying the air from the rooms-or enclosures to be air-conditioned is indicated at 85 in Figs. 4 and 10. The return air from duct 85 may go directly, as indicated by arrows 86, Fig. 4, into a vertical passageway 81 and thence through an opening 88 into chamber 82 and from there through opening 83 to airopening is controlled by a damper valve 9I which 'in the up position of Figs. 10 and 11 blocks direct flow of return air as indicated by arrows 86 in Fig. 4 and opens the flow of return'air to a vertical duct 92. In the down position of damper valve 9|, shown in dotted lines in Fig. 11, the vertical duct 92 is closed oi! and-return air-from the dotted-line arrow 91, Fig. 2, into an end to be distributed to the rooms.

return pipe goes directly to the air-inlet chamber following the course of arrows 86.

As indicated in dotted lines at 93, the duct 92 is expanded by an ahgularly-disposed partition 94 for the whole width of the air-inlet pipe 85, but is contracted by partition 95 joining 94 to about half that width.

Referring to Fig. 2, the heat exchanger 89 is shown in plan in dotted lines and the travel of the air is there indicated as follows: From vertical duct 92 the air goes through, heat exchanger passages 99 in heat exchanger 99, Fig. 5, of sub stantially the same construction as primary heat exchanger 29 and secondary heat exchanger 29 used for heat, excepting that the air-legs of heat exchanger 89 will preferably be formed of brass and copper or other water-resisting and quick heat transfer material. The air passes through heat exchanger passageways 96 as indicated by chamber 98 from which it passes back. through heat exchanger passageways 99, Fig. 5, following the course ofdotted-line arrows I99. From heat exchanger passages 99 the return air goes to vertical air-leg 81, through which it travels to opening 88, chamber 82, through opening 83 and to the air-inlet chamber 84, as heretofore described. i The air-inlet chamber 84 provides ineffect" spray tower above the secondary heat exchanger 29. A pair of sloping partitions Ill-I, I92, Fig. 5, meet at I93, the center longitudinally of airinlet chamber 84, and are united short of their ends with vertical partitions I94 and I95, which form sets of parallel vertical passageways I96, I98 and I91, I99, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. Passageways I98, I98 enter and leave a lower chamber II9 formed by a semicircular bottom wall H2, and passageways I91, I99 similarly means to admit water under pressure to pipes I and H5 when blower 19 begins operation, and terminate said water flow when the blower ceases operation. Bailles II8, II 9 of suitable shape and size are secured to side walls I2 and I3 for restraining upward movement of water.

along said side walls.. and causing it to spray back into the air-inlet and spraying chamber 84. When the water is being delivered under pressure two sheets of spray, indicated at I29, move entirely across the chamber 94 in the above directions and the inlet-air moving to the blower is caused to pass through these sheets of spray and move down through outer passages I98, I99 and thence reverse sharply into passages I 95, I91, whereby free water willbe thrown out by gravity action. The air cooled by contact with cold'water from the system and which air is preliminarily cooled as hereinafter pointed out, then goes to chamber I2I above secondary heat exchanger 29 and thence through the heat exchanger passages 15 therein to the blower and The water drips from eaves I22 and I23 of top plates IN and I92, and also from suitably constructed balfles I24, I25, and gravitates to the troughs formed by curved partitions H2, H3. The water from troughs II9, III goes through pipes I26 and I21 to a manifold pipe I28 which discharges to re- V ceiving funnel I 23 from which the water travels through the heat exchanger passageways I33 in the heat exchanger 33, finally discharging at the top through pipe I3I which leads to the sewer.

The water may be supplied directly from the city mains, and where its temperature is not higher and preferably lower than 70 F. it will provide effective cooling of the enclosures to be air-conditioned. Where, however, tap water is delivered at too high temperatures it may be.

cooled, as. indicated diagrammatically in Fig. 7,

by passing it through an extensive length of fin tubing I32 in a tank I33 containing a heat exchange liquid cooled by evaporator coils I34 from compressor mechanism indicated diagrammatically at, I35. The course of water travel through the system is illustrated diagrammatically in Fig. 6. Pipe II3 leads to the water main, being controlled by cut-out valve I33. Pipe H6 passes through automatic valve II1 electrically operated in unison with the blower 13 as hereinbefore pointed out. Pipe II3 then may deliver directly to the sprays I23 and from there excess waterdelivers through pipe I23 to the heat exchanger 33. and from heat exchanger 39 the water may go through pipe I3I direct to the sewer. In this form of circulation for the cold-conditioning sprays no compressor or preliminary cooling of the water is employed. Where this is done a three-way valve I31 by-passes the water through the cooling tank I33, from which it passes through pipe I33 to pipe IIS and the sprays. Similarly a three-way valve I39 by-passes the water from pipe I3I through the compressor I35 for cooling the compressor and then to waste through pipe I43 to the sewer.

For winter air-conditioning a three-way valve I4I by-passes the water through pipe. I42 to where it joins a pipe I43 which at one end enters ajhot watertank I44, Fig. 12; and at the other end goes through a heating coil I45, Fig. 1. From the heating coil I45 the water goes to pipe I46 and thence to spray tubes I41, Figs. 1 and 5, where the water is sprayed into the. air-inlet chamber 34 for the purpose of moistenlng and cleaning the air in the wintertime. Excess wate'r flows out of the system through drain pipe I23 and into the heat exchanger 33 in the same manner as when the appliance is used for coldconditioning. To the extent, therefore, that the water escaping through pipe I28 is heated by passing through the heating coll I45 and adjacent thesecondary heat exchanger 29, over and above the heat that the water loses in humidifying the air being conditioned, this heat will be recovered by the-incoming air passing through the heat exchanger 33, and in this manner practically all of the heat generated by the burning gas will be recovered and utilized.

Pipe I43 has incorporated in it a three-way solenoid controlled valve I43, of well-known construction, which is normally open to spray pipes I41 and which will automatically be shifted to by-pass the water through pipe I43 to hot wa-' through pipe I33, all in a customary way.

Inheat exchange for cold air-conditioning a larger volume of air relative to the space being air-conditioned is requisite than in heat airconditioning. It is also true that in cold airconditioning the normal living quarters, such as living room, dining room, kitchen and the like is used and occupied during waldng hours, while the sleeping quarters, such as bedrooms, are occupied during and just preceding and following the sleeping period. 'It follows that cold air-conditioning may be eil'ectively carried on by providing means for causing the discharge of the entire volume of air moved by the blower 13 to one or the other of these groups of rooms, 'thus to the living quarters in the daytime and earlier part of the evening, and to the sleeping quarters in the later part of the evening and the nighttime. This volume of air being sufilcient to supply the heating requirements for the entire space of both sets of rooms will relatively greatly increase the volume of air going to either one or the other'of said sets of rooms in relation to the total space of such set of rooms. Practically to effect such a distribution I divide the .13 and I53 in air-return passageway 35 are adapted to simultaneously operate through a link I51 connected with an arm I53 rigid'with the damper I53, and a second arm I59 rigid with the damper I55. When the damper is in the full-line position of Fig. 10 all the air delivered from the appliance will go through duct I5I to one group'of rooms and all the air returning to the appliance will be drawn through duct I53 from the same group of rooms. When the damper I 53 is taken into the dotted-line positions of Fig. 10 all the air delivered by the appliance will go through duct I52 to a second group of rooms, and all of the air drawnfrom those rooms will go through duct I54 and back to the appliance. It will be obvious that when the damper valve occupies the intermediate position, as it usually will during heating in winter, the full volume of air will be distributed through both groups of. rooms.

. In Figs. 14 and 1,5 I, have shown a heating assemblage speciflcallydisclosed in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive in a normal heated air air-conditioner, as applied to a unit heater construction adapted /to be suspended in factories, warehouses and the like for giving direct gas-fired heat. In this construction the primary heat exchanger 23, secondary heat exchanger 23, smoke hood 3|, discharge pipe 32 and burners 22 are, or may be, the same as shown in .the aforesaid Figs. 1 to 5. A reverberating chamberyis formed by casting I33 of a modified form provided with a cleanout door I3I. A special typeof casing is provided comprising parallel side walls I32, I33 and bottonlwall m and end wall m, a partial top wall I33 and a sloping top wall I31 above casting I33. The smoke hood 3| and smoke flue 34 are housed in a chamber I33 which admits air through top apertures I63 and discharges through a bottom aperture I13 into a blower chamber I1I. Only a small amount of air passes through this portion of the system, enough to drain away the heat from hood 3| and pipe 34. As shown in Figs. 14 and 15, an adapter I12 embodies a cylindrical extension I13 which forms a housing for the fan or blower I14. A- bar I15 across the cylindrical housing I13 forms a support for a drive shaft I16 which is connected by suitable universal joint I11 with driving motor I18. Apertures I19 in end wall I65 and I about shaft I16 and inner casing wall I8I permit air toflow through the motor chamber I82 to cool the motor.

The side wall I63 projects somewhat beyond the end of heat exchanger 20, as indicated at I83, and has supported therein a series of damper plates I84 which may be made adjustable for deflecting the heated air downwardly. In operation the air is moved by the fan I14 through secondary heat exchanger 29 and fiue chamber I68 to discharge to primary heat exchanger 20 (going through the passageways 2| as indicated in Fig. 15). Some of the air travels about the outside of the heat exchangers and the casting I60 through passageways such as indicated at I85 in Fig. 14, and all of the heated air is caused to move downwardly toward the floor by deflectors I84. For hanging the unit heater suitable members such as the angle iron bars I86, I81 are secured to the secondary heat exchanger 29 and are each furnishedwith a multiplicity of holes I88 adapted for adjusting a position of the unit heater. It will be obvious that so far as the heating features may go the unit heater of Figs. 14 andv 15 will operate to heat the air in the same way and by the same means as the heater arrangement of the hot air furnace shown in other relations. v

The advantages of my invention have been very well given in connection with the preceding description. Generally speal ging these advantages include 'a single unit appliance of the general character of a hot air furnace or forced-air air-conditioner in which inexpensive and emcient means for conditioning air for whatevercircumstances of use may be required are provided, and which are adaptable for the varying different seasons of the year. For heat conditioning the composite unit air-leg heat exchanger provides a very large area of heat exchange surface and carries the gases of combustion through in contact only with cast iron surfaces, thus adapting it for gas as a fuel. The heat exchange surface is highly eflicient in' a primary heat exchanger being located entirely close to the gas flame or source of heat, and the secondary heat exchanger receives the cooling gases of combustion and is subject to contact with the cooler incoming air, which may be additionally cooled by being washed and humidified in a water spray. It is further a great advantage in the use of the appliance for heating, either as a home forced-air air-conditioner or as a unit heater for factory use, that both primary and secondary heat exchangers are formed of the same air-leg sections and that the use of such sections makes it simple-and easily'practicable to have the heat exchangers of any desired width simply by employing a greater or less number of the individual air-legs.

The entire organization to whatever use it may be put, is not only compact and cheap to construct, but extraordinarily eflicient relative to its weight and cubical contents.

1. A hot-air heating plant comprising a casing forming a fire chamber, an air-carrying member extending across said fire chamber having cast iron walls, said member being divided into a multiplicity of air passageways by thin plates integrally cast at their sides in the. cast metal walls, an air-intake chamber, an air-delivery chamber, and means for positively moving the air to be heated from the air-intake chamber \through said air passageways'and to the airdelivery chamber.

2. A hot-air heating plant comprising a cas- -ing forming a central fire chamber and air cham-.

bers at the ends thereof, a multiplicity of aircarrying members extending across said fire chamber between said last-named chambers, each having cast iron walls spaced from one another and from the walls of the fire chamber, each of said members being divided into a multiplicity of air passageways by thin plates integrally cast at their sides in the cast metal walls, and means for positively. moving the air to be heated from one of said chambers to the other.

3. A hot-air heating plant comprising a casing forming a central fire chamber, an air-delivery chamber above, an air-intake chamber and a transfer chamber at the ends thereof, a multiplicity of air-carrying members extending across said fire chamber between said last-named chambers each having cast iron walls spacedfrom p pe another and from the walls of the fire chamber,

' each of said members being divided into a multiplicity of air passageways by thin plates integrally cast at their sides in the cast metalwalls,' means for positively moving the air to be heated conjointly dividing the fire chamber .into upper and lower compartments, each member having cast iron walls spaced from one another and from the walls of the fire chamber to form horizontally-elongated relatively narrow vertical passageways between said upper and lower compartments, and gas burners positioned to direct flame and combustion gase through said passageways.

5. Ina hot-air hea ing plant comprising a casing forming a central fire chamber, air chambers at the ends and embodying a fan for moving the ir, a heat exchanger comprising a multiplicity of air-carrying members extending across said fire chamber between said end chambers, each memberhaving cast iron walls spaced from one another and fromthe walls of the fire chamber to form elongated, relatively narrow vertical passageways, each of said members being divided intoa multiplicity of shallow broad air ducts by thin plates integrally cast at their sides in the cast metal walls, and gas burners positioned to direct flame "and combustion gases through said passageways. I

6. In a hot-air heating plant comprising a casing forming a central fire chamber, air chambers at the ends and embodying a fan for moving the air, a heat exchanger comprising a multiplicity of air-carrying members extending across said fire chamber'between said end chambers,

each member having cast iron walls spaced from one another and from the walls of the fire ing gases of combustion froin the heat chamber to the stack.

'1. In a hot-air heating plant comprising 9. casing forming'a central fire chamber, air chambers at the ends and embodying a fan for moving the air, a heat exchanger comprising a multiplicityoi. air-carrying members extending across said fire chamber between said end chambers, each member having cast iron walls spaced from one another and from the walls of the fire chamber to form elongated relatively narrow vertical passageways, said vertical passageways having projections to cause the gases passing through them to move in an irregular path and impinge alternately upon said walls, and gas burners positioned to direct flame and combustion gases through said eways.

8. A hot-air heating plant comprising a casing forming a central flre chamber and air chambers at the ends thereof, an air-carrying member extending across said fire chamber and opening into the end chambers having cast iron walls subject to the gas and flame in the fire chamber and being divided into a multiplicity of air passageways by thin plates integrally cast at their sides in the cast metal walls, and means for positively moving the air to be heated through said air passagewaysfrom one of said chambers to the other.

9. A gas furnace comprising a casing forming a central fire chamber with air chambers on each side thereof, a plurality of hollow rectangularlyelongated metal heat exchangers extending directly across the flre chamber, said heat exchangers having cast metal walls spaced apart so as to form narrow substantially horizontal passageways extending across the flre cham r and opening into the air chambers from top bottom thereof and forming substantially vertical passageways between adjacent pairs of heat exchangers, a multiplicity of metal plates having theiredges cast intosaid cast metal walls which divide the horizontal passageways into numerous smaller horizontal passageways, a gas burner below and close tothe lower, opening of each vertical passageway to cause flame and gases otfcombustion' to heat said walls and plates, and

means 'to move air from one air chamber through changer comprising a cast metal open-ended airall said horizontal passageways to the other air chamber.

10. In air-conditioning appliances, a heat exleg having spaced side walls, said air-leg being divided within said walls into a multiplicity of air passageways by thin plates integrally cast at their sides in the cast metal walls, and means adapted to be attached to said air-leg to form open-ended passageways on the outsldes of said walls for constraining afheat exchange medium to move in contact therewith.

11. Inair-conditioning appliances, a heat exchanger comprising a cast metal open-ended airleg having spaced side walls, said air-leg being divided within said walls into a multiplicity of air passageways by thin plates integrally cast at their sidesin the cast metal walls, and means adapted to be attached to said air-leg to form open-ended passageways on 'the' outsides oi said walls'i'or constraining a heat exchange medium to move in contact therewith, said last-n med I 2,102,394 chamber to form elongated relatively narrow vereways extending along said walls in a direction atright angles to the first-named passageways.

12. In air-conditioning appliances, a heat exchanger comprising a cast metal open-ended airleg having spaced side walls, said air-leg being divided within said walls lnto a multiplicity oi! air passageways by thin plates integrally cast at their sides in the cast metal walls, and means on said walls whereby a plurality of said air-legs may be attached together to form open-ended passageways between pairs of air-legs for constraining a heat exchange medium to move in contact with/the walls thereof.

13. In air-conditioning appliances, a heat exchanger comprising a cast metal open-ended airleg having spacedside walls, said air-leg being divided within said walls into a multiplicity of air passageways by thin plates integrally cast at their sides in the cast metal walls, and flanged ribs formed at-the margins of said walls and 1 extending at right angles to said air passageways with faces parallel to the walls for securing a plurality of said air-legs together to form openended passageways on the outsides of said walls for constraining a heatexchange medium to move in contact therewith.

14. In air-conditioning appliances, a casing forming a fire chamber, an air-inlet chamber andtending across the air-inlet chamber having cast 7 metal walls also subject to the heat generated in the fire chamber, said member being divided into a multiplicity of substantially vertical airpassageways bythin plates integrally cast at their side edges in the cast metal walls, and means for positively moving the air to be heated through all said air-passageways, about the heat 0 ber and to the air-delivery chamber.

A heat exchanger system comprising 2. casg forming a central chamber with end chambers on each side thereof, a plurality of hollow rectangularly elongated metal heat exchangers extending directly across the central chamber, said heat exchangers having cast metal walls spaced apart so as to form narrow, substantiallyhorizontal passageways extending across the central chamberand opening into the end chambers from top to bottom thereoi and forming vertical passageways between adjacent pairs or heat exchangers, a multiplicity of metal plates having their edges cast into said cast metal walls which dividethe horizontal passageways into numerous smaller horizontal passageways, means to move an exchange medium through the vertical passageways to temper said walls and plates, and

means to move air from one end chamber through all said horizontal passageways to the vin the air-inlet part comprising horizontal combustion gas passageways and intermediate vertical air passageways, said heat exchangers positioned adjacent each other at an upper corner of one and a lower corner of the other, respectively, and all said combustion gas passageways being of cast metal, and a cast metal hollow member having side walls at right angles to each other united with walls 0! the said heat exchanger and forming a chamber for receiving combustion gases from the primary heat exchanger and conducting said gases to the secondary heat exchanger.

FRANK A. WHITELEY. 

